Tag Archives: Texas Legislature
Pete Gallego and Texas Democrats Once Again Snatch Defeat from Jaws of Victory
In what should have been an easy win in San Antonio, Democrats managed to lose a seat they’ve held for 139 years.
The defining attribute of Trump era special elections has been tectonic shifts from red to blue, fueled by highly energized voters. Democrats have flipped more...Read More
Judge Blocks Texas’ ‘Near Catastrophic’ Fetal Burial Law
A state law requiring women to bury or cremate fetal remains from miscarriages and abortions has been blocked by a federal judge.
A federal judge blocked Texas’ fetal burial law on Wednesday, writing that the legislation would “likely cause a near catastrophic failure of the healthcare...Read More
Why is Texas’ Leading GOP Think Tank Suddenly All-In on an Anti-Wind Crusade?
The Texas Public Policy Foundation’s latest PR blitz is the kind of thing you’d expect to see from a seedy advocacy group, not a would-be policy braintrust.
If you were a newcomer trying to figure out how Texas politics works, a good start would be to look at the state’s two leading think tanks. The center-left Ce...Read More
Texas Lawmaker Sponsors Far-Right Rally Against ‘Far-Left Violence’
“They’re right-wing extremists, but events like this attract white supremacists as well, because these ideologies line up.”
An East Texas lawmaker is sponsoring a “March Against Far-Left Violence” at the Texas Capitol Saturday — one of at least eight marches around the country ...Read More
‘Stalwart Battler for Justice’: Remembering Babe Schwartz (1926-2018)
In the Texas Senate, Schwartz was a constant delight, swift as a bolt of lightning, who could rhetorically eviscerate an opponent with his rapier wit.
Babe Schwartz, a former state senator from Galveston, died last week at 92. He was described by Houston Chronicle columnist Patti Kilday Hart as “one of the m...Read More
In Their Rush to Appear Pro-Israel, Texas Lawmakers May Have Stepped on Free Speech
A growing number of people have reported that a state law is forcing them to choose between their political beliefs and payment for their labor.
To make extra money while attending the University of Texas at Austin, Obi Dennar often worked as a judge for high school debate tournaments. In October, after ...Read More
Sid Miller Ticks off Farm and Ranch Groups by Personally Shutting Down ‘Spray Boxes’
After some ranchers complained, the state’s agriculture commissioner halted 16 pesticide operations in South Texas that were allegedly misapplying a poison.
Remember when Sid Miller suggested that the entire “Muslim world” should be nuked? How about when he brought back deep fryers and sugary drinks to school ca...Read More
ICE Crashed a Van Full of Separated Mothers, Then Denied It Ever Happened
"The crash was really strong, like maybe we were going to flip," said one mom. "There was no crash," said ICE.
Leer en español. On July 18, a cargo van transporting eight Central American mothers separated from their children under Trump’s “zero tolerance...Read More
In Violation of Texas Law, Most High Schools Aren’t Giving Students the Chance to Register to Vote
Abysmal compliance with a decades-old state law is leaving at least 180,000 high school seniors off the current voter rolls, according to a new report.
About two-thirds of Texas high schools are not following a state law that mandates giving all eligible students the opportunity to register to vote, according t...Read More